Shaq Sued: Shaquille O'Neal Accused of Hacking by Former Employee, Says Report
NEW YORK (CBS) Boston Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal is being sued by a former employee who has accused the NBA veteran of hacking into his computer and destroying evidence - while also attempting to frame the employee for possessing child pornography, reports RadarOnline.com.
Shawn Darling filed the lawsuit against the three-time NBA Champion for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and civil RICO (a racketeering claim) on Aug. 3 in Miami-Dade County, Florida, according to the gossip site.
Darling, who reportedly has a previous criminal record, worked as O'Neal's personal IT specialist from 2007-2009, states the site. The suit claims O'Neal of hacked into Darling's voicemails and phone systems along with those of O'Neal's alleged mistress, Vanessa Lopez, reports RadarOnline.com.
Darling also claims he has emails, text messages and photos that prove the NBA star had affairs with several women while married to his now ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal, according to the gossip site.
Benjamine Reid, O'Neal's attorney, made a statement calling the grounds for the lawsuit a "complete and utter fabrication." He claims that Darling tried to extort O'Neal by asking for a reported $12 million from the NBA star in exchange for not going public with the information, according to RadarOnline.com.
Lopez, who is suing O'Neal for harassment, told O'Neal that Darling was giving her information behind his back after Darling apparently found proof that the NBA player was breaking into Lopez's phone system, states the gossip site.
This prompted O'Neal to send him threatening messages, according to Darling. The former employee also claims that O'Neal called on the help of an active Arizona detective to override a computer program that would allegedly allow him to frame Darling for possession of child pornography so that O'Neal could take the computer that had evidence of his affair with Lopez, reports RadarOnline.com.
O'Neal's attorney feels differently: "This is another unfortunate incidence of people targeting celebrities in search of a big pay day."
According to RadarOnline.com, Darling was sentenced to 32 months in a federal prison in Wisconsin for bank fraud and misuse of Social Security numbers in 1999.